Compact inspection systems become the ‘new normal’ When it comes to buying criteria
However, producers have a duty of care
systems on the same conveyor results
for inspection equipment, whilst
to operators to ensure they are working
in a far smaller footprint than stand-
commercial viability will always make
in a safe environment. Rather than
alone units would occupy.
or break decisions, the COVID-19 crisis
reconfiguring production line layouts,
is pushing space-optimised design and
companies are looking at how they can
Combi metal detector/checkweighers
remote diagnostics to the fore.
redeploy and organise operators in a
are not a new concept, but last month
safer way, for example, by altering shift
[May], saw Fortress unveil its first ever
patterns. In other words, the focus is on
offering in the space under the Raptor
moving people rather than machinery.
marque. Developed in collaboration with
Footprint has long been a consideration when choosing packaging and processing equipment – factory space is at a premium and the ever-increasing
As factories adapt to these new ways
cost of real estate means each cubic
of working, Phil Brown, Managing
metre has to be maximised.
Director of Fortress Technology, expects
In production and packaging facilities where every inch counts, establishing
equipment compactness to become even more important.
new practices that will enable factory
“From a factory floor perspective,
personnel to work safely during
adapting to COVID-19 is all about
the COVID-19 pandemic is a huge
creating space. Smaller footprint
challenge. Preventing the spread of the
equipment creates more space for
virus within the workplace is all about
people to move around without being
creating distance and physical barriers
restricted to certain pathways,” he says.
between workers, but space is in short supply in most facilities.
COMBI SYSTEMS COME INTO THEIR OWN
MOVING PEOPLE, NOT MACHINERY
One of the ways in which companies
Redesigning factory layouts is not easy,
combined checkweighing and metal
requiring considerable investment.
detection system – mounting these
26 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk
Sparc Systems, the integrated system delivers hygienic and user-friendly operation on a compact footprint. The machine’s footprint has been minimised via several design features. Clever configuration of the reject mechanisms, for example, means that they occupy 50% less space than a conventional design. “You can’t get away from the fact you need separate rejects for weighing and metal as the rework required for rejected products is very different. However, we have designed the system
can save line space is to opt for a
with opposing rather than end to end rejects, reducing the length of the reject system from one metre to 500mm,” explains Brown.
